NK Cells to Induce Immunological Memory to Prevent HIV Infection (R01) | PA 17 114

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title and funding opportunity number for this grant?

The opportunity is titled "NK Cells to Induce Immunological Memory to Prevent HIV Infection (R01)" and the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number) is PA-17-114.

What type of grant mechanism is used?

This is an NIH R01 mechanism, described as a discretionary research grant.

What is the main scientific focus of this opportunity?

The focus is on hypothesis-driven, multidisciplinary studies of Natural Killer (NK) cells and how they may help prevent HIV infection, particularly in ways that could be harnessed by HIV vaccines to produce protective immunity.

What is the central goal of the research encouraged by this FOA?

The central aim is to deepen understanding of how NK cells contribute to early immune responses and immune regulation, and how those processes could influence HIV vaccine-induced protection.

Does the FOA prioritize mechanistic studies or descriptive studies?

The FOA emphasizes specific, testable pathways and mechanisms (clear mechanistic hypotheses) over purely descriptive profiling of innate immunity or NK cell features.

What does the FOA mean by moving beyond general descriptions of innate immunity?

It seeks studies that explain, using testable mechanisms, how NK cells might shape vaccine outcomes, influence the initial control of viral exposure, or contribute to immune features that resemble immunological memory.

What is meant by "NK cell memory" in this opportunity?

The FOA highlights that NK cells, while traditionally classified as innate immune cells, can show memory-like behaviors under certain conditions. It encourages research that clarifies what NK cell memory looks like in the context of HIV vaccination or HIV exposure.

What kinds of questions about NK cell memory does the FOA encourage?

The FOA encourages work examining how NK cell memory is generated, how long it lasts, what signals sustain it, and whether it meaningfully improves resistance to HIV infection or alters early events after exposure.

How should projects connect NK cell biology to HIV vaccines?

Projects are expected to link NK cell biology to vaccine-induced protection using strong experimental designs, modern immunology approaches, and clear mechanistic hypotheses.

Are technology or methods development projects encouraged?

Yes. A secondary goal is to encourage the development of novel technologies that make human immune monitoring in vaccine clinical trials more definitive.

What types of technologies or tools are specifically called out?

Examples mentioned include improved assays, standardized platforms, better biomarkers, advanced single-cell or systems immunology tools, and new analytical frameworks to interpret NK cell function and regulation in humans.

Why is immune monitoring in humans emphasized?

The FOA signals that if NK cells are to be meaningfully evaluated in HIV vaccine development, the field needs more reliable and informative tools to measure NK cell states, functions, trafficking, interactions with other immune compartments, and correlates of protection in real-world clinical trial settings.

Does the FOA have goals beyond funding individual research projects?

Yes. Another stated goal is to recruit more innate immunologists into HIV vaccine research, bringing expertise from the broader NK cell and innate immunity communities into HIV-focused questions.

What funding activity category is this associated with?

It is described as a health-related funding activity.

What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA numbers 93.855 and 93.856.

Who is eligible to apply?

The eligible applicant pool is broad. It includes many types of U.S. governmental entities, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status, as described), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. It also explicitly includes a wide range of other institution types such as certain minority-serving institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations).

Are U.S. state, local, or special district governments eligible?

Yes. The FOA lists state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and special district governments as eligible applicants.

Are educational institutions eligible?

Yes. The FOA includes independent school districts and public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, as well as private institutions of higher education.

Are tribal entities eligible?

Yes. The FOA includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments, tribal organizations that are not federally recognized, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

Are housing authorities eligible?

Yes. The FOA lists public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities as eligible.

Are nonprofits eligible, including those without 501(c)(3) status?

Yes. The FOA includes nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education where applicable).

Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA includes for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and it also includes small businesses.

Are minority-serving institutions specifically mentioned as eligible?

Yes. The FOA explicitly calls out eligibility for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are explicitly listed among eligible applicants.

Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?

Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are included in the listed eligible applicants.

Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. The FOA explicitly includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations).

When was this FOA created?

The FOA was created on 2017-01-09.

What is the closing date listed in the provided information?

An original closing date is listed as 2020-01-07.

Is there an award ceiling listed?

No award ceiling is specified in the provided information.

Is the expected number of awards provided?

No expected number of awards is specified in the provided information.

What should applicants do if they need budget or award quantity details?

Based on the provided information, applicants would typically need to consult the full FOA and NIH budget guidelines for the relevant institute/center and submission cycle expectations.

What kinds of outcomes or impacts is the FOA aiming to accelerate?

It aims to accelerate mechanistic NK cell research with direct relevance to HIV vaccination, strengthen the methodological toolkit for immune monitoring in humans, and expand the pool of researchers working at the intersection of innate immunity and HIV vaccine development.

In simple terms, what would a competitive project generally look like under this FOA?

Based on the description provided, a competitive project would likely be hypothesis-driven, mechanistic, and designed to explain how NK cell functions (including memory-like behaviors) could influence HIV vaccine outcomes or early events after exposure, potentially paired with or supported by more definitive human immune monitoring technologies.